European Union
The European Union '''or the EU 'is an economic and political union of over twenty-five member states that are located primarily in Europe. A standardized system of laws and regulations apply to all of its member states, in effect creating one unified economy. It is responsible regulating some domestic affairs of some, but notably not all of member states. Many of its member states were affiliated with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The European Union Parliament directly oversees the operations and policies of the Mantle of the Bright Star (Knights Illuminor) in Europe, but allows the organization to run largely autonomously as its primary magical law enforcement arm. History The European Union was founded via various treaties that changed the structure of the EU over time into the form that it is today. Its earliest incarnation can be considered to be in 1945, after the end of World War II. The integration of Europe into a cohesive whole was seen as desirable to avoid the nationalism that had caused the rise of Nazi Germany and countless wars throughout the continent's history. In the 1960s, the European Union assisted in the hiding of the Elvish enclave of Kingdom of Tralar from the outside modern world, by establishing the Tralar Seclusion Zone and the construction of the Tralar Border Wall. In 2021, Norlar lamented that Tralar was primitive and backwards, and wondered what the fate of his Elvish countrymen might have been if they had participated in the EU and kept pace with technology and the outside world, specifically questioning what might have been brought to his kingdom if they had membership. 2030 In 2030, Liberators-830N was assigned to work with and develop a relationship with the Mantle of the Bright Star on behalf of their parent agency, the ULC. A diplomatic issue arose when the EU's lax laws overseeing the practice of Dark magic allowed Camden Kolt to be subjected to a scarring dark wizard attack, facilitated by a magical artifact that neither the EU or the Mantle had records of. During their deployment, the European Union was hit hard by the Langford cognitohazard attacks.The first ever attack during the crisis occurred in the Federal Republic of Germany; the virus had caused a massive automobile accident on the Autobahn, by forcing the autopilots of several vehicles going at over 100 kph to malfunction and resulting in a mass collision. Solgard Fortress, a former Mantle installation located in Enlaran magically ripped itself out of the ground and ascended, an act perpetrated by the wizarding cult of the Order of Morgana. The takeoff of the floating chunk of earth, which would later become known as the Landmass, was devastating, causing severe earthquakes and shockwaves to sweep across Enlaran and settlements close to its borders. This collateral damage was so devastating that the Tralaran Seclusion Zone had to be dismantled: the European Union Parliament retroactively authorized a previously unauthorized rescue and relief mission by the [[ULCS Golden Eagle|ULCS ''Golden Eagle]], and symbolically tore up the documents establishing their Seclusion Zone. The Kingdom of Tralar would ultimately rejoin the international community. Organization The European Union has unified almost the entirety of Europe into a political and economic alliance with the exception of: * Soviet Union and its client states * The United Kingdom * Switzerland * Seclusion Zones Most members within the European share the same currency, called the Euro. In the Schengen area, passport control and borders are virtually non-existent. Most modernized and mixed population countries participate, but Elvish countries and Seclusion Zones are not a part of this free-travel zone, and in fact are heavily restricted. Curiously, the European Union lacks strict regulations regarding the sale and distribution of food and tobacco products. Tobias Maki was poisoned and suffered health complications from cigarettes with metallic particulates during Liberators-830N's deployment and cooperation with the Mantle in Europe. Unlike the United States, there is no dedicated magical law enforcement agency; there is no equivalent to the US Department of Magical Affairs. Instead, the EU relies on the Mantle of the Bright Star for its magical law enforcement duties, which many states, and even some individuals within the Mantle itself, find controversial and undesirable due to the order's history of blatant genocide and Human imperialism. An agreement exists with Elvish nations that the Mantle will not enter their borders, due to extremely poor relations (the Mantle was directly responsible for the wholesale slaughter of many Elves and the collapse of entire Elvish kingdoms). As part of reparations, the Elvish Kingdoms of the European Union are held to nowhere near the same standards as their Human, Dwaven or mixed-race counterpart states, and are not subject to the same regulations while enjoying many of the Union's benefits. This includes not being required to report major environmental changes such as mining, their domestic trade, population, labor and economic statistics, or other information relevant to many EU regulations, especially regarding the use of magic and humanoid rights. Many Elvish states remain outright monarchies. This has been criticized by some other members of the European Union as being unequal, a poor decision made under pressure from centuries of Human and Dwarven guilt. Seclusion Zones As part of reparations, the EU established three Seclusion Zones to protect isolated Elvish populations following the Second World War. These zones exist in the European Union for the purpose eliminating contact with the modern world, to give an impression that the Golden Age is not yet over, forbidding any technology past Resurgence-era, and to spare them the sorrow of knowing centuries of genocide.. As these zones were populated by nearly only Elves, Humans and Dwarves were forbidden from entering. No persons, even Elvish are allowed to visit unless explicitly authorized.They had militarized borders and restricted airspaces to prevent aircraft from flying ahead and destroying the illusion. Though they enjoy the protection of the European Union, they are not members. The two remaining Seclusion Zones are Ansthor and Varthera. One is an island nation guarded by water, and the other borders the Soviet Union. An agreement remains in place for the Soviets to not approach the Seclusion area unless authorized by the EU. The Kingdom of Tralar was formerly a Seclusion Zone. However, in 2030, the End of Seclusion due to internal catastrophe forced the isolated country to open its borders, resulting in its eventual admission into the EU and gaining a seat in European Parliament. Members * Alaracron * Ansthor (seclusion zone) * Ausonia * Bindroul * Belgica * Enlaran * Everia * France * Garindrir * Germany * Greece * Hidrim * Karnheia * Lindon * Murgrin * Norway * Paravel * Poland * Portugal * Praugal * Spain * Sweden * Tharlaria * Tralar (newest member, formerly a seclusion zone) * Toldhir * Varthera (seclusion zone)